Gary George Inness (May 28, 1949 – February 23, 2021) was a Canadian professional

ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice h ...

goaltender In ice hockey, the goaltender (commonly referred to as the goalie) is the player responsible for preventing the hockey puck from entering their team's net, thus preventing the opposing team from scoring. The goaltender mostly plays in or near t ...

and teacher.

Playing career

Gary Inness took an unusual route to the NHL. After playing Junior B with the Weston Dodgers, Inness then went to McMaster University in Ontario for 4 years, playing both football as a centre and hockey for his university team. Inness then played one year with the University of Toronto, winning the CIAU championship while completing his teachers certificate. Inness never had aspirations of playing in the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

(NHL), instead thinking he would be a teacher in Ontario. However, the

Pittsburgh Penguins The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...

invited him to training camp and Inness signed as a free agent with them in 1973. Inness played for parts of almost three seasons in Pittsburgh before he was traded to the

Philadelphia Flyers The Philadelphia Flyers are a professional ice hockey team based in Philadelphia. The Flyers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home games in Well ...

. After his stint with the Flyers, he played for two seasons in the

World Hockey Association The World Hockey Association (french: Association mondiale de hockey) was a professional ice hockey major league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major league to compete with the National Hockey League (NHL) ...

(WHA) with the

Indianapolis Racers The Indianapolis Racers were a major league hockey team in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1974 to 1978. They competed in four full seasons before folding 25 games into the 1978–79 season. They played at Market Square Arena. They are ...

, playing with a 17 year old

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

. When the Racers folded in December of 1978, he returned to the NHL by signing with the

Washington Capitals The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...

, with whom he played for parts of three seasons before retiring at the end of the

1980–81 NHL season The 1980–81 NHL season was the 64th season of the National Hockey League. The New York Islanders were the top regular season team and the top playoff team, winning their second consecutive Stanley Cup by defeating the Minnesota North Stars in ...

. Upon retiring from NHL play, Inness happened to be in

Hershey, Pennsylvania Hershey is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is home to The Hershey Company, which was founded by candy magnate Milton S. Hershey. The community is lo ...

, when

Hershey Bears The Hershey Bears are a professional ice hockey team based in Hershey, Pennsylvania, a town located 14 miles east of the state capital of Harrisburg. The current Bears club has played in the American Hockey League since the 1938–39 season maki ...

coach Bryan Murray was promoted to coach the parent Washington Capitals. Being in the right place at the right time, Inness was hired to coach the Bears until being replaced midway through the 1984-85 AHL season.

Post-hockey career

Inness worked as a teacher, and then a guidance Councillor at Barrie North Collegiate Institute up until early 2010, after which he retired. He was well known for his involvement with coaching in the school, and remained an important part of its history. He died on February 23, 2021, from complications of dementia.

References

External links

* 1949 births 2021 deaths Canadian ice hockey coaches Canadian ice hockey goaltenders Hershey Bears coaches Hershey Bears players Indianapolis Racers players Philadelphia Flyers players Pittsburgh Penguins players Ice hockey people from Toronto Toronto Varsity Blues ice hockey players Undrafted National Hockey League players Washington Capitals players {{Canada-icehockey-goaltender-stub